Dorks in the Relationship
by best with breadsticks
Summary: Grady has talked to a lot of girls, but not very many that have liked him. And thus, he nervously approaches the girl of his dreams, Mel, with a question that will lead them on a romantic escapade.


Author's Note: So this is a two-shot I wrote for my good friend and rant buddy, TK. It's a Grady and Mel couple fanfic. I don't know if they have an official couple name yet. I've been calling them "Gel" because they GEL well together. hahaha...Yeah, bad pun. It's kind of like Sonny and Chad. They make "Sad" because Sonny and Chad are just SAD now. hahaha...more bad couple name puns. Yeah, I'll stop now.

Anyway, it took me forever to find the inspiration for this story, but I finally found two songs that really fit: "Falling in Love at a Coffee Shop" by Landon Pigg and "Lover's Carvings" by Bibio.

I hope everyone's in character. Especially Seamus McGregor because he was hard to write. haha.

Please enjoy. :)

Disclaimer: I do not own _Sonny With a Chance._

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"So, I'm just going to go up and talk to her. No big." Grady clenched his hand tightly around the fabric surrounding him. "No problem. I've talked to a lot of girls…"

He swallowed hard, feeling a bead of sweat run down his forehead. "But not many that actually _liked_ me…"

"G," Nico cut into Grady's verbal inner monologue. "No girls are ever gonna like you if they think that you talk to yourself. Get yourself together, man. You've got to be cool and collected." Nico smirked, flicking up the brim of his fedora.

"I know – but—"

The words were stuck in Grady's throat as he witnessed Mel appear in the window of the counter, preparing to take an order. She noticed him gaping at her, but she merely ignored his dumbfounded look and waved with a smiled before turning her attention back the customer at her window.

"Go, G." Nico urged, giving his pal a swift push toward the girl of his dreams. "Dude, ask her now."

Grady took a breath, nodding. "Okay, here I go."

He took a step towards her window; only to freeze as his alter-ego began to seep into his mind. Seamus McGregor was just about to overcome him, but he knew he had do his very best to contain his Scotsman side. He couldn't let her slip through his fingers, not like every other girl in his life.

Mel gave him a fleeting glance before retreating to fill an order for the customer glaring at her for taking too long. In less than two minutes, she returned with a piping hot beverage for the customer, handing it to them as she kept her eyes on Grady staring wide-eyed at her. She smirked; taking note of the lack of tip she received for her lack of attention on the customer.

She motioned for him to come over. Grady took this as his cue to approach her. He walked swiftly and carefully, holding the fabric of his cape close to his body. He didn't want to reveal what he was wearing underneath too soon.

"Hey, Grady," she greeted as he made his way over to her window. She let out a short chuckle as she watched him tense up for a moment, half-expecting him to spew something in that ridiculous and completely fake accent of his.

He opened his mouth, feeling Seamus moving up towards the surface, but he managed to reply in his normal voice. He was grateful for this bit of normalcy and authenticity.

"Hi, Mel," he said in a breath, feeling the sweat on his back begin to freeze as he stared wide-eyed at her.

She smiled before speaking.

"So, what's up with the cape?" Mel gestured, raising eyebrow to his choice of outfit. "Are you going to a vampire convention or something?"

"Oh, no, no." He shook his head wildly, while he pulled the cape closer to his body. "I just – um – I was just wondering if – perhaps – if you wanted to – just maybe – perhaps – maybe –"

"Spit it out," Mel leaned over the corner to better hear him.

Grady took a deep breath and, in one breath, allowed the words to flood from his mouth. "I was just wondering because I know you're getting off work in a few minutes. Not that I'm a stalker or anything, I read it on your Flitter page a few hours ago. You posted your hours, and I remember it saying you were getting off at four. And since I'm free and I don't really know if you're really free, but I assumed you we—"

"I'm free." Mel cut in to confirm his assumption. He grinned for a second after the confirmation was made before returning to a disaffected expression to continue his rant.

"Well, that's good, because I was just going to ask – if you want to – I didn't know if you would want to go somewhere with me. I mean, I'm entirely sure what people do on these things because the only one I've been on was with Sonny and that was a fake one to throw off my brother –"

"Grady?" She interrupted him once more. "Is this rant going somewhere because, as you already know, I don't actually get off work for another –"She glanced at the clock, "—ten or so minutes. _So_…"

"Mel, will you go on a date with me?" Grady blurted out.

Mel pretended to be taken back, for she had realized what he was trying to ask about three minutes prior, but nevertheless, she a blushed when the words left his mouth. A smile gracing her lips as she acted as if she needed to check the clock.

"Well…let me check—"She leaned to see the clock once more.

"I'm free!" She eagerly responded. "I just have to wait until my shift is actually over before I can head out, but yes."

"Okay," Grady said breathlessly. "I'll just wait over here."

He left the counter, tripping over a table as he attempted to sit down on a couch in the center of the café. Nico was giving him the "thumbs-up" and Grady returned the gesture, nodding like a mad man. Nico grinned; happy for his partner in crime before turning his attention back to the attractive young lady he was doing his best to woo.

Grady continued to stumble his way over to the couch. He eventually managed to sit down, watching as Mel filed an array of orders with all the grace and strength that he loved in woman. It was hard to believe that he had finally met the girl of his dreams and in a coffee house no less. He had finally found someone who shared his love of both Narnia and delicious caffeinated drinks. Who could ask for anything more?

Taking a quick look over at the clock, Grady realized Mel should be clocking out anytime now. He felt a wave of nerves coming over him as he waited impatiently for her to hang up her apron, set down her pen and paper, and say her final goodbyes. She couldn't be much longer; the ten minutes she had left was well over by this point.

Mel crept up behind Grady, grabbing a hold of the tie that kept the cape from falling off. She hastily undid the tie and pulled the cape back all before Grady knew what had occurred. He gasped in shock, unconsciously allowing Seamus to break free.

"Ay, lassie!" He cried. "Whit are ye doing?"

Mel chuckled, "Are you wearing a skirt?" She tugged the cape out from under him and tossed it off to the side. "And is that a bagpipe hanging off your belt?"

"Nae," he shook his head. "This is a kilt, not a skirt. And secondly, milady, all good Scotsman have carry their trusty bagpipe." He patted the bagpipe on his side. "A'm Seamus McGregor, dear lassie. A great Scotsman ye can be assured."

She was puzzled for a moment, unsure of the proper response. She stared with a partially gaping mouth, unable to control the childish giggles welling up from her very core.

Nearly everything he did was dorky and awkward, his actions created situations she never imagined for herself, but there she was smiling as every young girl falling in love had smiled before her. He had this way about him that she couldn't say was new to her, but the way he portrayed and carried this aura of sweetness and dorky glory was something that was new and refreshing.

She could honestly say she had never fallen for a guy who had an alter-ego as a Scotsman.

"Umm, Grady?" She raised an eyebrow, blushing slightly as she watched his flushed expression. "Or should I say, Seamus McGregor? Are we going to go anywhere on this "date," or are we just going to sit here while I comment on every little detail of your—" she motioned, pointing her finger at him "—get up?"

"Aye!" Grady declared as he jumped to his feet. "I mean – um. Yes, let's go. Sorry about the outfit. It just felt natural."

Mel smiled as he grabbed his cape before walking toward the exit with her.

"It's okay. I actually like it. It makes _this_–"she pulled back the thick braid hanging in a disheveled, yet orderly, mess on the side of her head to reveal a white heather. "—less embarrassing."

"You're actually wearing a heather flower in your hair!" Grady exclaimed as they walked out of The Patio. "So I guess I didn't need to bring this one?" He reached around the side of his belt and soon enough a purple heather materialized in his hand.

A pink hue danced across Mel's cheek. She reached out and plucked the flower from his hand and began to fiddle with the braid in her hair until the new flower was firmly in place. She shook her head quickly to see if the flower would fall, but when it didn't, she looked up at him and grinned.

"Well, who said I can't have two?"

He smiled, letting out the breath he had been holding. "I'm glad you like it."

She smiled at first before replying. "So, where to? I'm up for anything except going for coffee, since I work in a coffee house and that's all I see all day or going back to my apartment and listening to Sonny's denial sessions downstairs."

"Denial sessions?" Grady questioned.

"Yeah, that's what I call it when she sits in her living room and sings about her the denial she's currently having, but that's another story." Mel waved her hands as to erase the thought of Sonny and her relationship issues. "Why don't we catch a movie and see where things take us?"

He beamed happily at the fact that she was a take charge woman. He liked that quality in a lady. They had the ability to come into a situation and get things done. She wasn't one to sit around and let things linger, she took care of them and moved on.

He offered her his arm, but before she accepted it, she noticed something hanging from the back of his belt. He had probably hidden it back there while he was still wearing the cape to conceal his Seamus McGregor outfit. It was another important part of his highlander outfit, but she wasn't going to let him be the only dork in this relationship.

She snatched the item, which happened to be an elaborate hat that complimented his outfit. She promptly placed it on her head and smirked.

"You can't be the only dork in this relationship. We've got to share the title." She laughed at his bemused expression that soon transformed into one of delight.

"Shall we, milady?" He offered his arm once more.

"Only if you promise to stop call me "milady." It sounds too close to m'lady, which is always prominent part of Sonny's denial sessions."

"Deal." He held out his arm for her and this time she accepted, looping her arm in with his.

They walked in sync down the street towards the nearest bus stop. That was Grady for you; a class, bus riding, act. Most might find this utterly revolting; the thought of a famous, television actor taking his date on a bus ride to their destination, but Mel found it the exact opposite, it made him human. He wasn't just an image on a screen that she could watch every Friday night; here in this moment he was a gawky, dorky guy who about to take the girl of his dreams on the date of a lifetime. It was an enduring gesture in Mel's eyes; a more real and loving one as well.

The bus arrived on time and they boarded together as a "couple" of sorts.

It wasn't exactly intentional, but once they were situated on the bus, sitting near the back while crowds of commuters pushed their way onto the bus, filling it up to almost the cusp of its limit, Mel felt her the drowsiness of her day's activities overwhelm her. Going from work straight into an unplanned date wasn't exactly her regular schedule.

She leaned in towards the window, but alas, Grady's presence prevented her from resting her head on the smooth surface. Her head came to rest on his shoulder, and although she hadn't the intended to have this small moment, she wasn't exactly planning on rushing out of it anytime soon.

Grady's breath was caught in his throat. His first instinct was to wake her up because he didn't like the idea of her sleeping on a public bus, regardless of whether or not he was there. Also there was the issue that he wasn't too sure what to do with her resting there. He felt his heart flutter. The soft pounding of his heart was ringing in his ears with each unconscious nuzzle of her head into his shoulder.

He remained as still as possible as not to disturb her slumber, wrapping his cape around her as a blanket to shelter her from the cold chill of the air conditioner.

How strange it must have looked to all those crowded on the bus? Two teenagers sitting in the back; one dressed as a highlander with the exception of his hat which was upon the head of the young girl asleep on his shoulder with a black cape draped across them.

Indeed, it was a peculiar sight, but who could say it wasn't adorable in its own way?

* * *

Author's Note: Any good? Part two will be up as soon as I finish it. I know what will happen, I just have to write it up.

Thank you for reading. :)


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